


The Art of Negotiation

by cordeliadelayne



Category: Primeval
Genre: Abby Takes Control, Becker doesn't understand the team at first, F/M, Flirting, Getting Together, Kissing, Too much shouting gets you nowhere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-08-17 13:23:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8145613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordeliadelayne/pseuds/cordeliadelayne
Summary: It takes a while for Captain Becker to find his place in the team, and only Abby seems willing to do something about it.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sandrine Shaw (Sandrine)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sandrine/gifts).



> Written for sandrine who prompted with this pairing. Set early in series 3.
> 
> Originally posted to Livejournal in 2011.

“He's a pompous, arrogant, supercilious -”

“Big word.”

“...arrogant.”

“You already said that one.”

“Poop head.”

“Poop head?” Abby repeated, no longer capable of containing her laughter. Sarah glared at her and then dissolved into laughter herself. “All right, fine. I may be overreacting.”

Abby smiled into her mug of tea. Ever since his arrival Captain Becker had been causing waves, not least by insisting that everyone on the team undertake firearms training, and being overly critical when they weren't as good as his own men.

Or sometimes when they were.

“He's just finding his way,” Abby said. “He's got some tough shoes to fill.”

Sarah sighed and patted Abby's hand. “Doesn't mean he has to be such an arse about it.”

At that moment Captain Becker entered the ARC's kitchen and moved over to the coffee machine. Abby and Sarah fell silent, but Becker didn’t look over at them. He didn't give any indication that he’d overheard what they'd been saying about him, but when he was finished he left, without even trying to engage them in conversation.

“Damn it,” Sarah muttered. “I didn't mean -”

“I know,” Abby said. “It'll be fine.”

Though she was pretty sure it wouldn't be.

* * * * * 

Abby didn't really get a chance to talk to Captain Becker until a week later, when they were called out to an anomaly alert at a deserted warehouse. Cutter had, for once, agreed with Becker's assessment that they needed to split up. So Cutter, Jenny and Connor had gone with some of the Special Forces to the front whilst Becker and Abby had gone round to the back entrance with one of the new soldiers, Lt Bailey.

“So, what's the plan, Captain?” Bailey asked.

They all got out of Becker's car and surveyed the surroundings.

“The Professor wants us to get whatever it is back through the anomaly.” Becker's tone told them both exactly what he thought about that idea.

“It's not their fault an anomaly opened in front of them,” Abby said. “They don't deserve to have their lives taken away.”

“Neither do we,” Becker said, sharply. “And Lester brought me in to protect you, not them.”

“We're not at war,” Abby said, trying to keep her voice light. “They aren't the enemy.” Becker looked at her blankly and she could see his foot tapping as he waited impatiently for her to get to the point. “We're not the enemy, either.”

“We'll fan out and approach the door. Bailey to my left, Miss Maitland...” He glanced at the tranquilliser gun in her hand. “Stay behind me.”

Abby pursed her lips in annoyance but then decided there was no point trying to talk to him; they would just have to show him how good a team they were.

Of course, that didn't happen.

Instead, a Glyptodon ambled straight at Connor as soon as they entered the warehouse. Cutter ran forward and pushed Connor out of the way, and into the path of one of Becker's soldiers, who had to fall to his side in order to avoid injuring Connor.

Becker went to open fire but there were too many people now in the way. Abby was running towards Connor and helping him to his feet.

“Get down!” Becker shouted and Abby twisted only to find Becker pointing a gun straight at her.

She pushed Connor back down to the ground and stood glaring at Becker.

“We can get it through the anomaly!” she called at him.

Becker started to run towards her but then quickly back-pedalled as the Glyptodon, apparently having enough of all the noise they were making, headed towards Becker.

“He just wants to go home,” Abby said. She started to follow the Glyptodon and Becker reluctantly moved out of the way, though he kept his weapon trained on the creature.

The Glyptodon took one final look at the warehouse and the scattered team members and then stepped through the anomaly. A few seconds passed and then the anomaly blinked out of existence.

* * * * * 

Abby wasn't sure what to expect. Becker could go either of two ways – a cold fury that would burn for weeks or a sharp explosion of anger that would last a few minutes.

In the end, it was both. Becker yelled at them all for putting themselves in danger and not even Jenny's placating tone had any effect. Then it seemed like he was prepared to move on, so the team didn’t fret too much about it.

But then every time they went out on a call, Abby could see the fury in Becker's eyes. Even when everything went fine and everyone, even Cutter, did as they were told, Abby knew that Becker still hadn't forgiven them for the first time.

Eventually the tension got too much for Abby and she decided that she had to sort this out, one way or another.

“Captain Becker, can I talk to you?”

Abby had caught up with Becker in the parking garage after a very long day. Connor had left hours before, as had most of the other staff, so the garage was practically deserted.

Becker looked around quickly, his eyes as wide as a rabbit trapped in headlights.

“Now?” he asked.

Abby planted herself in front of him. “Yes.”

Becker neatly side-stepped Abby and went over to his car. Abby followed, determined not to let Becker leave before they'd had a chance to talk.

Becker sighed. “What do you want, Miss Maitland?”

“I want,” Abby said, moving into Becker's personal space, “I want to know what your problem is? Why don't you leave if you hate this place so much?”

Becker looked surprised. “I don't hate you..this place.”

Abby frowned. “You're always shouting.”

Becker gave a rare smile. “I'm a soldier, shouting's part of the job description.”

Abby bit her bottom lip. “But you're not helping,” she said. “None of _us_ are soldiers.” She let herself smile a little. “We don’t respond well to being ordered about.”

Becker sighed. “Especially not Cutter?”

He turned and leaned on the bonnet of his car. After a second, Abby did the same.

“Especially not Cutter,” Abby agreed. She looked down at her feet. “You could really make a difference. If you were a bit more reasonable.”

Becker looked as if he were considering it. “I didn't set out to be the bad guy. Lester hired me to instil some order. I suppose I've been a little...eager.”

He smiled shyly at Abby and Abby allowed herself to relax. Then she shifted a little awkwardly, realising that Becker was staring at her.

Of course she'd noticed Becker was a very handsome man, she wasn't _blind_ , but she really hadn't been thinking about that. Until now.

“Are you doing anything now? Dinner? You could tell me all the other ways I'm not doing a good job,” Becker suggested, with just the hint of a smile.

“I'd love to,” Abby said, surprisingly herself.

She ignored the niggling voice in the back of her head that said Connor would probably be waiting up for her.

* * * * * 

One dinner turned into two, turned into lunch, turned into a regular Saturday night outing – the cinema, a restaurant, on one memorable occasion, the shooting range. Connor carried on walking around looking hurt but Becker had firmly told Abby that there was nothing either of them could do about that.

The others didn't seem to mind so much, which Abby was grateful for, though she couldn’t help wondering if she'd just replaced one problem with another.

“Thinking again?” Becker asked. He planted a kiss on Abby's cheek and then moved on to her mouth, pressing Abby up against the wall of the parking garage. They always seemed to end up making out down there – Abby was starting to think that Becker had a car fetish.

“I just wasn't expecting...”

But whatever she had to say vanished from her thoughts as Becker started kissing her as if his life depended on it. Abby gasped and put her arms around Becker's neck. There were many reasons why they should stop, not least of which was the CCTV cameras set up everywhere, but none of that seemed important as Becker put his hand up Abby's t-shirt and deftly unhooked her bra.

“You've been practising,” Abby laughed.

“I have to do something while guarding anomalies until the early hours.”

Abby pressed a finger to the laughter lines around Becker's face. When he'd first arrived she'd never have for a moment thought he was capable of smiling, and certainly never thought that he would save all of his smiles for her.

She opened her legs a little wider and hooked her ankles around Becker, drawing him even closer. Becker's eyes lit up and he started moving her towards his car. He'd been not so subtly trying to get her naked and on top of it for months and it seemed like today was finally going to be the day.

Until the anomaly alarm started blaring, and Becker laid a weary head on Abby's shoulder.

“Foiled again,” he murmured into the crook of her neck.

“I'll make it up to you later,” Abby promised.

Becker graced her with another private smile before becoming all business once more. He helped her off the bonnet of his car and she adjusted her top as the others started piling out of the lift. She waved at Connor who gave her a small wave back.

But then she was distracted by Becker pausing before he got into the driver's seat to throw her bra back at her – in full view of a bemused Cutter and Jenny. Abby felt herself flush but didn't say anything.

Instead she spent the rest of the ride to the anomaly site cheerfully plotting her revenge.


End file.
